


Some Unholy War

by A_Hundred_Jewels



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Background Drarry, Background Linny, Dreams, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Hogwarts Eighth Year, M/M, Pansmione - Freeform, Post-War, background lavender/parvati, nothing spicy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-25
Updated: 2019-04-25
Packaged: 2020-01-31 21:15:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18599554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Hundred_Jewels/pseuds/A_Hundred_Jewels
Summary: After the war, Hermione Granger returned to Hogwarts to repeat her Seventh Year. Things should have been good. And, for her friends, they were. Hermione, on the other hand, was in a relationship that no longer made sense, felt like she was been cheated out of the happiness that all her friends seemed to have, and (most annoyingly) kept having confusing dreams about her sworn enemy. At that point, what more could happen?





	Some Unholy War

**Author's Note:**

> This is my very first Pansmione fanfiction, so please let me know how I did, because it is one of my (many) favourite ships. Also, let me know if there are any inconsistencies about Hogwarts (I did my best to avoid them, but I wouldn't be surprised if a few had found their way in). 
> 
> I had some problems with italics, so, if something's in all caps, assume that it's supposed to be italicized. Also "~~~" indicates the beginning of a dream. "---" just indicates a gap of time. 
> 
> I do not own these characters. They belong solely to J.K. Rowling. However, this story is my own, and I worked hard on it. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this! Please leave a comment or a kudos if you did (both will be highly appreciated!)

Hermione Granger and Pansy Parkinson hated each other. Everyone in the eighth year knew that. Some people thought that their dislike of one another was irrational. Actually, everyone thought it was irrational. Draco and Harry, the girls’ best friends had finally started dating. Pansy had even managed to become friendly with Hermione’s friends, Ginny and Luna, who were also dating. (Finally). The feud between Slytherin and Gryffindor was pretty much over, which some thought was because Professor McGonagall was desperately trying to promote house unity. Others just thought that everyone was out of things to do, what with the war being over and all, and they figured playing nice with the other houses would make things less boring. (To be fair, there were also those who decided that constantly playing pranks on students in general would make things less boring too, but that really just gave everyone else a common enemy).

When Hermione had returned to Hogwarts along with Ron and Harry, for their makeup seventh year, she’d sincerely hoped that no Slytherins would have come back to join them. She had thought that her friends would agree with her on that, but no such luck. After the fairly amicable break up between Harry and Ginny (both, apparently, had a thing for blondes), Harry had begun a rather friendly relationship with a certain Slytherin who was no longer hostile towards Gryffindors, and was very much back for eighth year. Ron, too, Hermione noticed, had struck up an odd and sometimes suggestive friendship with Blaise Zabini, who also was back at Hogwarts. In fact, there were many friendships and relationships between houses. Hermione had always thought Hogwarts should have more house unity, and she still stood by that. It was just - Slytherins. How could they suddenly be so friendly with the same people who had caused them so much pain? Even if they were changing, they still were the same people. Harry kept telling her to open her mind. Think of the stress they’d been under, he said. Voldemort had been staying in Draco’s actual house. Hermione was trying to keep an open mind, she really was. She was even finding that she actually enjoyed the company of Draco and Blaise, sometimes. She’d even had a couple conversations with Gregory Goyle. Not Pansy, though. She would always be an enemy. 

Hermione walked up to the eighth year common room. Because the regular houses were all full, the returning seventh years stayed together in one dorm. At first, Hermione had thought that it would be weird, but it was actually kind of nice. (Although, she did find it irritating that her and Pansy Parkinson’s beds were near each other). After giving the correct password to the suit of armor guarding their entrance, she walked through the tall mirror into the common room. She was greeted with the sight of a terrified looking Ron Weasley. He was holding a bouquet of Pine branches tied with thread, which he presented to her one she had walked in. Hermione smiled. Despite her dwindling romantic feelings for Ron, she still found this sort of thing sweet. “Were you waiting for me?” Hermione asked.   
“Um, yes, yeah. I was,” Ron stuttered. “‘Mione, um, can- can we talk?”  
“Yeah, of course, Ron. Is everything okay?” Ron gave her a strained smile, and shrugged. 

The two of them sat down in the quietest corner they could find, and did the best they could to ignore Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil asleep on the couch opposite them. Hermione still held the peculiar pine branch bouquet in one hand. Ron turned to her and gulped. “‘Mione, I think we should break up. 

Hermione bit her lip. In all honesty, she had known this was coming. Ron and Hermione weren’t what they’d once been. In the beginning, they’d been perfect together. They’d stayed up late at night, talking to one another. Hermione had known everything about him. Now, though, It always felt as if Ron was hiding something. She had loved Ron, she was sure of that, but things were different, now. So much had changed in eight months. 

“Well, okay then,” Hermione said. Ron looked surprised. “I just mean,” Hermione continued, “I’ve been feeling it too. The loss, I mean. Of us, and what we used to feel for each other.” She ducked her head down, and focused on the pine needles. Each and every little one. Tiny, and seemingly insignificant, yet the branches in her hand would be lost without them. She looked back up at Ron.   
“I’d like to still be friends, though,” she said. Ron looked relieved, to say the least. “I was worried you’d be furious. Yes, friends sounds wonderful.” He smiled and the two of them hugged. 

On the couch across from them, Lavender stirred. She looked up and, noticing Ron and Hermione, asked the time. Ron checked his watch. “It’s about half six,” he said. Lavender nodded her thanks and brushed a long strand of hair out of her face. Then she shook Parvati awake. Her girlfriend groggily opened her eyes. “Yes, love?” she said. Lavender looked at Parvati with an expression that made Hermione’s heart melt and clench at once. “We should get that book you need from the library before dinner,” Lavender said. Parvati’s eyes widened. “Oh, yes, definitely.” The two girls walked off, hand in hand, and Hermione watched them go, wistfully. Why couldn’t she have this?

\-----------

Hermione lay in bed that night feeling as if a colossal weight had been lifted from her tired shoulders. She and Ron had ended up having a lovely long conversation about everything and nothing. It had felt wonderful, like she’d gotten her best friend back. 

In a perfect world, Hermione would have drifted peacefully into a sleep free of worries and confusion. Naturally, though, the universe wanted to keep her on her toes. Haunting her dreams that night were a pair of ruby red lips and a curtain of short black hair. The scariest thing though, was that, in her dreams, Hermione didn’t dislike Pansy Parkinson at all. Quite the opposite, in fact. 

\-----------

The next morning, Hermione slumped into the dining hall, sparing only a nod for her friends. Harry was scribbling a note to Draco Malfoy, but he raised an eyebrow at Hermione’s unenthusiastic entrance.   
“‘Mione, are you alright?” Ron asked. “You only brought one book to breakfast!” That was, in fact true, and it wasn’t even a textbook. On the table in front of her was a copy of Louisa May Alcott’s An Old Fashioned Girl, which she’d decided to read in an attempt to understand Muggle literature. It was actually quite good, and certainly the only thing that she could stomach after a dream like that. 

“Nothing,” she replied, shaking her head. “I’m fine. I just slept lightly, that’s all.” If only that had been true. Meanwhile, Ginny and Luna sat down at the table. No one commented on their late entry, or Luna’s decision to abandon her own house table for the Gryffindor table. (Everyone was so used to seeing Luna sit with her girlfriend instead of with the other Ravenclaws that there were several first years who thought she actually was a Gryffindor). A paper bird fluttered over from the Slytherin table, landing in front of Harry. He unfolded it, and read the note. Snorting, he picked up his quill and wrote a response on the same creased parchment. Then, he folded it back up and sent it on its way. Harry looked up to see both Hermione and Ron watching him. “What?” he asked. “Mate,” Ron said, “do me a favour, and never, ever, tell me what you two write to each other.” Harry laughed, and, despite Hermione’s generally perplexed mood, she joined him. “Don’t worry,” he said. “There’s nothing I want you to see.”

Hermione glanced over to the Slytherin table. Draco was reading Harry’s note with an overt blush on his pale face. Blaise Zabini and Gregory Goyle were trying to read over his shoulder, but Draco kept elbowing them away. And there, having a heated discussion with Daphne Greengrass and Millicent Bulstrode about Merlin-knows-what, was Pansy Parkinson. As if she could feel the weight of the Gryffindor’s stare, Pansy turned around and met Hermione’s eyes with a gracefully arched eyebrow and the corner of her mouth quirked. Remembering her dream, Hermione felt her face color. 

“Hermione? Hermione! HERMIONE!” Hermione snapped her head back to the Gryffindor table to see that Ginny was leaning across the table and waving her hand in front of Hermione’s face. “I’ve never seen you so distracted! Harry was asking about homework, too. Usually, that works like smelling salts. What’s going on?”   
“I, um,” she looked desperately to Ron for help. He looked just as perplexed as she felt, though, which didn’t offer any comfort. He looked at Harry, instead. Harry now also looked confused, so he looked back at Hermione. Luna, meanwhile, was trying not to laugh. Ginny furrowed her eyebrows. “Okay, seriously. What on Earth is going on? You guys have regained your weird, culty group dynamic, which has been off ever since…” She suddenly gasped enormously. Hermione jumped, making Luna giggle further. Ginny, now standing, looked wildly between Hermione and Ron. “You broke up!” she said in a dramatic stage whisper. “Gin,” Luna tugged on her girlfriend’s arm between laughs. “Ginny, you should probably sit down.” Ginny obeyed, but didn’t take her eyes off of Hermione and Ron, who were looking back almost guiltily. Hermione had actually sort of forgotten about the break up. It seemed that Ron had, too. Hermione cleared her throat. “Well, um, yes. We- Ron and I- broke up. But it’s good. We’re still going to be friends and all that.”  
“Yeah,” Ron nodded. “It’s better this way.”

“Thank Merlin.” Ginny slumped forward. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you guys have been so awkward, it was stressing ME out.” Harry rolled his eyes amusedly.   
“And we wouldn’t want THAT.”   
“I know, right?” She turned back to Hermione and Ron. “Look, I’m just saying that I’m happy for you.”  
“Should I be offended?” Hermione said, laughing a little.   
“Not in the slightest. Luna, do you want any tea?” Luna looked up from her toast, which she’d used a simple color spell to make purple. “Yes, thank you, love.” Luna smiled dreamily. Hermione’s heart almost hurt to watch them. They always seemed so comfortable and normal with each other in a way that truly felt more romantic and pure than anything Ron and Hermione had had in the last couple months. Why COULDN’T Hermione have that with someone? Where was the person to make her that happy? At least with Ron, she’s been closer than she was now, even if she wasn’t very happy. Hermione opened her book in defeat. 

\-----------

Even though Luna and Ginny were seventh years, they usually walked to classes with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The two walked side by side, Luna’s arm around Ginny’s shoulders. A couple months ago, they’d have received some strange looks, but by now, everyone was pretty much used to their affections. Really it was a win for everyone else. Luna and Ginny didn’t particularly care what people thought of them, and less malicious comments being made meant less people meeting Ginny’s famous Bat-Bogey hex. Madam Pomfrey was quite relieved. 

As they turned the corner to find the Transfiguration classroom (Luna and Ginny had Arithmancy, which was in the same hall), they ran into none other than the eighth year Slytherins. Of course, Hermione was the only one who minded. Ron immediately started talking to Blaise and Goyle about wizard chess, or something Hermione didn’t care about. Harry and Draco walked together, bickering happily. Luna and Ginny included Pansy in their discussion about wrackspurts, and whether or not it’s true that Spectrespecs let you see them. 

Noticing Hermione’s angry frown, Pansy smirked. Irritatingly, she began to inquire, “What’s wrong, Granger? Haven’t you read about wrackspurts in all those useless books of yours? Or did you finally start talking to people?” Ginny and Luna gave each other significant looks, like “Here we go again,” which Hermione didn’t think was exactly fair. However, she retorted, saying, “You know, Pansy, you should really try reading sometime. Maybe you wouldn’t just be SCRAPING BY in all your classes.” Ginny rolled her eyes. “Merlin’s pants, you two. It’s like Harry and Malfoy all over again. At least I’m not dating ‘Mione.” Luna laughed. Winking at Hermione, she said, “Yes, Gin, I’m quite glad you’re not.” The two strolled off to Arithmancy, leaving Hermione and Pansy in a confused silence. 

Suddenly, the hall was quite empty, except for the two girls; their friends had gone into the Transfiguration classroom at this point. Neither girl would look at the other. Finally, Pansy said, “We’re not going to hook up.”  
“Right,” Hermione replied. “Because, we don’t like each other.”  
“Hate,” Pansy offered.   
“Despise,” Hermione added.  
“Dislike.”  
“Loathe.”  
“Detest”  
“Have an aversion towards.”  
“What?”  
“It literally has the same meaning as all of the other words we listed. Honestly, Parkinson, how dim can you get?” To Hermione’s great surprise, Pansy began to laugh. It was not a mean laugh, as she would have expected from the other girl, but one of general happiness and delight. Really, just a normal laugh. Hermione couldn’t help but join in. After a few second, she snuck a look at Pansy (ignoring the slight flutter in her chest). The latter smiled. 

Slowly, carefully, Pansy said, “Well, maybe we don’t HATE each other, exactly.” Her voice was almost soft.   
“Yeah, maybe.” Hermione’s dream flashed across her mind. She shoved it away.   
“We’re not Harry and Draco, though.”  
“Definitely not,” Hermione said, trying not to blush.  
“Because THEY are oblivious fools. WE are all-knowing goddesses.” Hermione laughed again. If a part of her mind was celebrating the fact that Pansy had actually complimented her (oh, the joy), then, well, it was nobody’s business but her own. 

Suddenly, Professor McGonagall swept past them. Seeing Pansy and Hermione laughing together, she raised an eyebrow. “Don’t be late,” was all she said, before hurrying into her classroom. Frantically, Hermione and Pansy hurried through the door. They found two empty desks in the back, and ignored their friends’ confused glances as well as they could. Hermione could only imagine what they were thinking had happened to cause her and Pansy to rush into the classroom together, especially after Ginny’s, um, INSIGHTFUL comment. Whatever they were thinking, it seemed that Hermione Granger and Pansy Parkinson had reached a truce.

~~~~~~~~

Hermione and Pansy were in the Room of Requirement. They were sitting on a comfortable couch, talking about nothing in particular. The girls passed a bottle of butterbeer between them. To an observer, it would seem that anything could be happening between the two. However, such ambiguity would soon be abandoned. The bottle of butterbeer, now empty was now abandoned on the floor. The girls moved closer and closer to one another, until they were merely a breath away. Pansy pushed a lock of curly brown hair behind Hermione’s ear. Smiling, she leaned forward and Hermione felt Pansy’s red lips press against her own. It was soft and fleeting, but everything that Hermione could have imagined. Again and again, they kissed, each longer and deeper than the last. Pansy’s tongue began to press against Hermione’s lips, asking, pleading, for an entrance. They parted, gladly, and Pansy’s tongue snaked in. Nothing mattered to them, but the other. As far as Hermione knew, they were the only two people in the Universe. They were bound, invisibly, yet tangibly, with a strength most powerful when unseen. In their blissful seclusion, they would venture farther and farther, until there was nowhere left to go. Until the two of them were lying side by side in repose, their lives put on hold for each other. 

~~~~~~~~

Hermione awoke with a start. Why on Earth would she dream about that? In her last dream regarding Pansy, they had merely been close to kissing, and even that had been difficult to manage. But now this? THIS was above and beyond. It didn’t make any sense! Why couldn’t Hermione have normal dreams about things like Quidditch matches, or Transfiguration homework, or dogs? As far as she knew, that was all Ron ever dreamed about. (It occurred to her that, as far as Ron knew, that was also all that she ever dreamed about. Given her current situation, the realization was uncomfortable). At the very least, her dreams could’ve been about someone a bit less confusing. Or, perhaps, they could have lasted longer… 

The last thought scuttled across her mind before she could push it away. Begrudgingly, Hermione admitted to herself that, well, the dream had been rather pleasant, and it wouldn’t have been the absolute worst thing for it to have lasted longer. Perhaps. Just so that she might have seen what more had happened between her and Pansy. As a sort of precaution, of course.

In the dark someone snickered. Hermione turned around in her bed (she always forgot to close the curtains) to see Pansy walking towards her. The raven-haired girl kneeled on the floor, setting her elbows on Hermione’s bed and her rounded chin in her hands. She looked at Hermione with a smirk.   
“Nightmare?” The Slytherin asked.  
“Umm, yeah.” Hermione tried to steady her breathing. Quickly, she resorted to indignation “Why are you here, again?” Pansy (naturally) ignored her question.   
“You are such a liar,” she said, chuckling evilly “An awful, liar, though. Your attempts are pathetic, Granger.”  
“No,” Hermione insisted, “It was a horrid dream. There were, um, bad things…”  
“Granger, now you’re just insulting me. You said my name, and you didn’t sound upset at all.”  
“I, um, you- you weren’t in my dream! You must have been dreaming yourself.”  
“Nice try, Granger, but your intense embarrassment says otherwise. Besides, I’ve been up for hours.”  
“Really?”  
“Of course I have. Because of actual nightmares, though. Not your type.” Hermione attempted to roll her eyes at this. Secretly, though, she felt sympathy for the other girl. Everyone had had their share of bad dreams, and they were horrible. They were probably even worse for Pansy, Hermione realized, as she remembered what Harry had said about the stress Draco had been under with Voldemort living in his house. 

“Hey, don’t look at me like that,” Pansy said. She was trying to sound like her usual bossy self, but Hermione detected an underlying layer of insecurity. “I’m used to the nightmares,” Pansy continued. “Besides, if wake up, I can just watch other people sleep for a while. You always forget to close your curtains, Granger! It’s as if you want everyone to know that you’re having preposterous dreams about me.”  
“Stalker,” Hermione said, laughing in spite of herself. Maybe it was a little creepy to know that Pansy had watched her at night, but she’d be lying if she said that she’d never peeked at the Slytherin girl while she was asleep.”

“So,” Pansy wiggled her eyebrows. “What were we doing?”  
“Nothing! Just, um, talking in the Room of Requirement.” Pansy rolled her eyes.   
“Please, Granger. No witch has ever had an innocent dream about the Room. Believe me.”  
“Fine. We- we kissed a bit. Well, a lot. You know.”  
“I wish I did, but you’re not giving me much, here.”  
“Use your imagination!” Pansy raised her eyebrows and grinned devilishly.   
“Was it good?” she whispered.  
“NOT LIKE THAT!” Hermione was certain her face had never been redder. “I’m serious,” she lowered her voice, remembering that students were sleeping around her. “We just kissed. The kissing was good though.” “Of course the kissing was good,” Pansy scoffed. “It was me!” 

“You know, Granger,” Pansy continued, “I wouldn’t exactly mind if we made that dream of yours come true.” Hermione gulped. This was, by far, the most embarrassing conversation she’d ever had. Still, she forced herself to meet the other girls eyes. Looking into them, Hermione felt more sure of herself than she had in years, despite the fact that they were surrounded by students who could wake up at any moment, and that all of this was happening because she’d uttered a name during a dream that nobody else would EVER find out about, if she could help it. Hermione took a deep breath, and said, “I suppose that I wouldn’t mind that either.” 

Smiling softly, Pansy leaned forward and closed the gap between their lips. For a moment, Hermione was frozen. It didn’t seem possible that this was happening. She soon came to her senses, though, and kissed the other girl back. Kissing Pansy was startlingly similar to how it had been in her dream, but better. Now, she knew that she didn’t have to wake up. Pansy’s lips were smooth, and they met Hermione’s own chapped ones with elation. Hermione leaned into the other girl until she was afraid that she’d fall off the bed. They broke apart, panting, and Hermione tugged on Pansy’s arm. Pansy yielded to her, and allowed to be pulled into bed next to Hermione. After kissing some more, they lay peacefully, side by side. The minutes passed comfortably. Suddenly, Pansy wiggled closer to Hermione, folding into her side. In response, Hermione put her arm around the other girls shoulders. Like that, they fell asleep, once more. This time, though, no dreams (not even normal ones) plagued either of them. It didn’t matter that, upon awakening, they would be greeted with many confused stares (because, naturally, Hermione had forgotten to close the curtains again), or that, throughout the day, both girls were going to be incredibly distracted. Lying in bed together, they were the only two people in the Universe. And that was all that really mattered.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Any constructive criticism, as well as comments in general, are appreciated. 
> 
> ~a hundred jewels


End file.
